[JustADude]

 I've been messing around a bit with various loadouts for something a corporate (S-K) strike-team might use for general transport in potentially dangerous situations. Something they could ride into the Redmond Barrens with reasonable confidance (aka, armed and armored), but still not cause coffee-spewing and panic on the part of the cops while they're en route.

Given that it's Saeder-Krupp, budget is a non-issue compared to effectiveness and staying low-profile. I'm also willing to play a little fast and loose with the mod-slots, since this is likely something they've cooked up in the in-house engineering labs.

 Any suggestions?

[Stry]

The problem is that T-Birds are fairly expensive (although not a problem for SK.)  But, form what I read T-Birds tend to be pretty much a military type air craft and would draw a lot of attention.   

I would think something like and CRT Osprey (light transport) or an SK lakota  (helicopter) would make a lot more sense for a a SK strike team.

Another thing is it is the barrens, what cops?

[CanRay]

If you have Unfriendly Skies, or Runner's Black Book, a Lear-Cessna Rover might be an excellent choice with a few choice modifications.

[farothel]

It's the barrens, the vehicle is called a Thor Missile. 

[JustADude]

The problem is that T-Birds are fairly expensive (although not a problem for SK.)  But, form what I read T-Birds tend to be pretty much a military type air craft and would draw a lot of attention.   

I would think something like and CRT Osprey (light transport) or an SK lakota  (helicopter) would make a lot more sense for a a SK strike team.

Another thing is it is the barrens, what cops?

I was thinking more in the areas they have to fly over on the way to get to the Barrens, actually.

Really, though, I'm actually more concerned with how to mod-out a transport to be properly equipped for the task than the exact nature of the airframe being used.

[Crash_00]

Well Chameleon Coating and Signature Masking (can't remember if that's what it's called in SR4A) could go a long way to keep the craft unnoticed by local law enforcement. As far as legality, corporations can usually license things that individuals cannot, and its usually much easier for them to license things that individuals can (Look at getting a class III license in Missouri, it is far easier to pay $100 and get it under a business license than to get it individually). S-K does have a private "army" so I would see them being licensed to have military vehicles that could (with permissions) travel through local airspace in UCAS (much like PMC vehicles).

As far as the vehicle to use, the main question is what is the goal of the vehicle? If it is just an insertion vehicle then something small, light and fast would work just fine. If it's meant to be the vehicle  always used despite the job, I'd recommend something a bit larger in case they have to bring something back.

As far as suggestions:
GMC Banshee (Big and very fast. Rename it if you want a S-K feel since Ares owns GMC)
Ares Dragon (Utility chopper, easily modifiable, but can look inconspicuous enough)
HAWKER-SIDDLEY HS-895 Skytruck (Big cargo plane, more noticeable than the dragon though)
ARES TR-55 (Smaller transport plane)
EUROCOPTER TIGER (Standard Assault Helicopter, it would be small and a tight fit, but may work)
SAEDER-KRUPP LAKOTA (A Small Cargo Helicopter, could be refitted easily to be more compatible with the needs)

My personal choice would be along these lines:
S-K Nightshade (Nachtschatten if you prefer the German)
[Military Grade Recon and Skirmish VTOL]
Handling: +1
Accel: 50/250
Speed: 1000
Pilot: 6                                        (15,000¥)
Body: 20
Armor: 20
Sensor: 6
Cost: 2,448,175¥
Slots: 0
Stock Mods:
Ext. Reinforced Flexible Remote Weapon Mount x2 (13,000¥)
Ext. Normal Flexible Remote Weapon Mount x3     (12,000¥) 

Modifications:
Chameleon Coating                     [2 Slots] (20,000¥)
Signature Masking 6                   [6 Slots] (12,000¥)
Armor 20                              [1 Slot ] ( 4,000¥)
Enhanced Rigger Cacoon                [2 Slots] ( 4,000¥)
Personal Armor 10                     [2 Slots] ( 5,000¥)
Smoke Projector                       [1 Slot ] (   700¥)
Small Landing Drone Rack x 2          [6 Slots] (10,000¥)

Sensors:
• Atmosphere Sensor Rating 3       [1 Capacity] (    75¥)
• 2 Cameras Rating 6               [2 Capacity] ( 1,200¥)
• 2 Laser Range Finders            [2 Capacity]
• 2 Motion Sensors                 [2 Capacity]
• Radar Rating 6                   [5 Capacity] ( 1,200¥)

With chameleon coating, everyone trying to Perceive the vehicle visually is at a -4.
With Signature Masking, any attempts to use a sensor to find the vehicle suffers a penalty equal to -6 or -sensor rating (whichever is lower).

[Sichr]

Im really surprised by that Armor 40 for 1 CF 

[Crash_00]

It's supposed to be 20 (max rating is 20), I must have miss typed it and then done the math on the typo. Armor is incredibly cheap slot and nuyen wise to me.

[Sichr]

jup, now it makes sense to me. nice birdie. i prefere Mig 67 but still, nice birdie

[JustADude]

jup, now it makes sense to me. nice birdie. i prefere Mig 67 but still, nice birdie

Yes, but can a Mig 67 hover and insert a Strikeforce of corporate spooks?

[Sichr]

Ah...right...I never actuallz work FOR corporation so I was OT.
Still Mig 67 is nice birdie. Since its russian origin, you can almost always repair it by using a hammer...or bigger hammer...

[Mäx]

I fould succest Nissan Hound from Millspec Tech, it a helicopter designed fro exactly this purpose.

[CanRay]

Ah...right...I never actuallz work FOR corporation so I was OT.
Still Mig 67 is nice birdie. Since its russian origin, you can almost always repair it by using a hammer...or bigger hammer...

"Tools?  Have tools.  Wrench, hammer, bigger hammer.  Order sickle, but is on back-order, take five months."

[Falconer]

To the OP... I'd just base it off the Docwagon CRT chopper in the main book.  That should be adequate to move a small squad plus provide some fire support.   There's an internally mounted weapon (non-obvious) adequate for a LMG... plus two large drone racks.

The full fledged gunship above is beyond obvious and over the top.  Similarly the LAV's in arsenal are both apt as well... both are naked cargo machines w/o any combat abilities inherent unless you modify them.

If you're looking to move people in platoon strength I'd probably switch to the Skytrain.  You need a lot of space/cargo to move that much materiel... at that point you should probably armor the vehicle... though still not necessarily arm it (you don't want a transport involving itself in direct combat, especially if someone shooting back will take out both it and the platoon it's carrying).  Leave your combat elements to lighter more expendable assets like combat drones is my suggestion.



One catch with the chopper... signature masking doesn't mask all signatures you need to pick one.   EG: IR signature... so it doesn't show up on heat vision... or radar masking to hide from radar sensors.  You need multiple installs of it to get multiple signatures.


Though it also quickly illustrates one of the major problems of the vehicle mod rules.

Whoever wrote them, did them reasonably well for small things like drones and cheap vehicles... but the costs are entirely out of line for large vehicles.

Things like armor and signature masking should need to key their price off of the body score like the chameleon coating does.  As it is... compared to the base price of the vehicle all the mods are a drop in the bucket.

[Crash_00]

The full fledged gunship above is beyond obvious and over the top.  Similarly the LAV's in arsenal are both apt as well... both are naked cargo machines w/o any combat abilities inherent unless you modify them.

I'd have to disagree on the obviousness of it. When not cloaked yes, but with the chameleon coating, your average person won't even have a chance to notice it flying overhead on a normal day (-4 Chameleon Coating, -2 or 3 if it isn't in the immediate vicinity, -2 most of the time for being distracted if they aren't actively looking for it). Even if they do notice it, its still cloaked so they won't know exactly what "it" is. For it to work correctly, you'd need to cloak the weapons on the mounts as well, but that's as you say, a drop in the bucket.

One catch with the chopper... signature masking doesn't mask all signatures you need to pick one.   EG: IR signature... so it doesn't show up on heat vision... or radar masking to hide from radar sensors.  You need multiple installs of it to get multiple signatures.

From Arsenal:
Signature Masking (All): When you don’t want your vehicle to be found, you must mask its signature in some way. To do this, you can use a combination of RAM (radar absorbent materials), thermal masking in order to reduce the thermal spikes that would attract attention, and a moderate reshaping of the vehicle’s exterior in order to scatter signals. Signature masking is rated from 1–6 and reduces the dice pool of all attempts by sensors to locate or lock onto the craft by an amount equal to the signature masking rating or the searcher’s Sensor rating, whichever is lower. This mod is not compatible with self-repair (p. 143).

I don't see any mention of different versions, the same mod covers it all by doing all three, the higher the level, the more it does of all three. To solidify this, it blatantly says it reduces the dice pool of all attempts to locate it with sensors, not just a certain kind of sensor.

I do agree, the vehicle mod rules could have been balanced a bit better with costs in mind.